Dimmer



E. A. NORDSTEDT.

DIMMER.

APPLlcAIIoN FILED DEc.31,1919.

,434,404 Patented Novf 7, 1922..

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Nov. 7,

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EINAR A. NORDSTEDT, OF JULIET, ILLINOIS.

DIMMJER.

Application :tiled December 31, 1919. Serial No. 348,536.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EINAR A.' Nonosrnnr, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Joliet, in the .county of Will and State: ot Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dimmers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dimmers, and in particular to electro-magnetically operated dimmers.

i-imong the objects of my invention are to provide means for shifting an electric lamp out ot' and into the focus of a reflector; to provide means 'for limiting the amount ot motion ot the adjustable lamp; to provide an electro-magnetic means tor shitting the lamp in one direction and automatic means for returning it to normal position; to provide means in which the etlect of shitting the lamp out of the focus is supplemented by putting the coil of the electro-magnet in series with the lighting circuit; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will later more fully appear.

My invention iurther resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have shown therein preferred embodiments, I desire the same to be understood as illustrative only, and not as -limiting my invention.

In the annexed drawing, forming apart oit my application, Fig.r 1 shows the reflector and supporting casing of my device in section., with the lamp, electro-magnet, and `connections in elevation. Fig. 2 isy a Yfragmentarv detail, enlarged, showing the electromagnet, socket, and connections in longitudinal section, Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of a modified construction, showing adineting means for varying the distance which the lamp may be moved in either direction.

Referring more in detail to the constructions shown, numeral 1 refers to the supporting casing, 2 to the reiiector mounted therein, 3 the glass plate or lens closing the open end o t. the above-mentioned parts, 4 the lamp, 13 the electro-magnet 'for actuating the lamp in one direction, and 6 the coil spring tor actuating it in the opposite direction. The lamp 4 is an ordinary Ediswan lamp, connected to the sleeve 5 by a bayonet slot connection, the spring 7 and plungerl 8 holding the lamp in the socket and making electric connection with the central terminal thereof, while the other terminal is connected through the metallic shell ot the lamp stem and the sleeve 5 through a grounded connection to battery or other source of electrical supply. The central terminal 9 of the lamp is connected through pin 8 and spring 7, as stated above, with the metallic plug 10, to which is secured a lead wire 11 by means of a screw` 12. Wire 11 is connected to a double pole socket (28), mounted in aperture 11 of casing 1, and to the same terminal of this socket is connected one terminal 14 of the solenoid 13, while the opposite terminal 14 of this solenoid is connected to the other terminal of the double pole socket. From this socket lead two wires to a 3-way switch 29 by means ot' which the current may be cut off or sent through the solenoid and the lamp, or sent directly to the lamp without going through the solenoid. The current, in going to the solenoid and lamp in series, will pass through wire 14, coil 13, wire 14, wire 11, plug 10, spring 7, pin 8, lamp 4, sleeve 5, reflector 2, to ground asshown in Fig. 2. In getting from the source of current oit' the lamp without going through the electro-magnet, it will pass from the switch directly through wire 11 and follow the course as stated above.

Secured to the back ot the support 1 is a flanged sleeve 15, in which` is mounted the solenoid 13, held in place by disks 16 and 17, and sleeve 18 (of brass or other suitable material). screw-threaded at its opposite ends to engage the metallic disks 1li and 17 and to hold them in place against the ends of the coil. Within the sleeve 13 is lmounted an iron corel 19 drilled and tapped at its oppolits, deeper' than shown and the bolt threaded for a greater portion of its length. The socket member' or cup 21 is shown connected to sleeve 5 by means ol' the screw threads on the end of the sleeve. Therefore, when core 19 is drawn inwardly by solenoid 13 sleeve 5 will also be forced forwardly and will carry with it the electric lamp el, which is normally in 'foca-l point, and .move it torwardly out of the focus ot reflector 2, thereby reducing the intensity of the illumination in Yfront of the reflector. It will be understood from the 'foregoing that when the current passes through wire 14; and the solenoid 13, the solenoid will be in series with the lamp 4- and will therefore supplement the action el the removal ol' the lamp from the focal point ol' the reflector by inserting a considerable resistance in the lcircuit of this lamp, while, when the current flows directly to the lamp through wire '11, this resista-nce above referred to is entirely out of the circuit, so that one gets substantially full benefit of the current consumed in the illumination produced. y

It will be seen that spring 6, having one end resting against the back of the reflector 2 and its other end resting against the ring 24 will force this backwardly against the force of the solenoid, which, however, is strong enough to overcome the tension ot' the spring. When the 4current has been switched from wire 1li to wire 11, the spring will draw the lamp backwardly, as indicated above. Metallic sleeves 15 and 18 and disks 16 and 17 together form a magnetic circuit for lines of force passing through the core 19 of the solenoid. lt should perhaps be mentioned that sleeve 5 is insulated from plug 10 by means of sleeve 25.

In the device shown in Figs. 1 and Q, the head ot bolt 22 limits the inward movement of the core and the movement oit the lamp. while in the device shown in Fig. 3, bolt 2Q is provided with two adjustable nuts, 26 and 27, the first of these being adjustable longitudinally along the inner end of the bolt to limit the backward movement ot the lamp, so. that the saine may be caused to stop precisely at the focus of the reflector, while the nut 2T at the outer end of bolt 22 may be adjusted to limit the distance that the lamp is n'ioved out of the locus ol the reliector. ln this way a `vmriable effect may be produced as well as securing the best. adjustment oil the lamp with' respect to the focus of the reector.

.The advantages secured by ope 'ating the solenoid in series with the lamp during the dimming of the light are so evident that it is scarcely considered necessary to detail them herein. However, it may be noted that a greater 'dinnning of the light may be secured. with the same current consumption. and for a light of a given brilliancy, less current -will be consumed, owing to the lact that the resistance of the wire which throws the lamp out oi' focus is utilized in cutting down the current flowing through the lamp circuit. This is a very marked improvement over a construction in which the solenoid and lamp are operated in parallel circuits.

lt is of course understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed trom without departing trom the spirit oi my invention., as set forth in this specification and the appended claims.

Having now described my invention,

I claim:

1. In a structure of the character specified, the combination ol an electric lamp slidably mounted along the axis of the structure, a spring `for normally pushing the lamp in one direction, a solenoid for actuating the lamp in the opposite direction, an adjustable stop exteriorly mounted for regulating the extent ol movement of said lamp in one direction, and a switch whereby electric current may be caused to How either through the lamp alone or alternatively through the lamp and solenoid in series.

2. ln combination, a casing, a concavestationary reflector mounted within said casing, a sleeve mounted on the outside of said casing, said sleeve carrying a solenoid provided with a reciprocable core, a cup connected with said core and carrying an electric lamp inside of the concave reflector, and means t r passing an electric current at will through the lamp' alone or through the lamp and solenoid in series.

3. In a device of the character specified, a casing, a lamp mounted for reciprocation with respect to said casing, a solenoid provided with a core and adapted to reciprocate the lamp, in combination with means for limiting the amount of reciprocation of said lamp, said means being constructed to permit adjustment of the amount of reciprocation ot the lamp from the exterior of said casing. comprising an adjustable bolt to cooperate with a recess with said reciprocating core.

4. In a lamp dimmer, a casing, a reflector, a lamp normally located at the locus of the reflector, resilient means tending to hold the lamp in normal position, a sleeve mounted on one side of said casing and housing, a solenoid in series with the lamp and provided with a core slidably mounted alon the axis of the reflector and connected. with the lamzp to operate saine against the tension ol' the resilient means, in combination with an electrical connection between the lamp and solenoid, and a switch for including in a power circuit the lamp alone or the lamp and solenoid in series.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a reflector having mounted therein an electric lamp longitudinally movable into and out of focal position, a solenoid for moving said lamp out of 'focus externally my name to this speccatou iu the presence mounted on sald cusmg, and connectlons to or two Wltnesses. JhroW sald solenold and lamp 1n serles when -the lamp is out of focus and to shunt the EINAR A' NORDSTEDT 5 current around the solenoid and directly into Vitnesses:

the lamp When it s in focus. ROBERT T. KELLY,

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe JOSEPH DUNDA. 

